Liability Driven Investment

US - The number of new mandates placed by US institutional investors increased 16% in 2010 with a sharp increase seen in specialist mandates like real assets, commodities and other alternatives.

FRANCE - Dutch regulations are "killing" pension funds by using a discount rate that forces them to de-risk, said Anton van Nunen, director of Van Nunen & Partners.

UK/NETHERLANDS - The number of pension plans adopting liability driven investing strategies has remained robust over the past year, with schemes in the UK and Netherlands leading the way, SEI says.

The number of pension plans adopting liability driven investing strategies has remained robust over the past year, with schemes in the UK and Netherlands leading the way, SEI says.

Pension funds are taking an increasingly tactical approach to liability driven investment hedging, F&C says.

GLOBAL - Pension funds in North America and Europe have different definitions of volatility and generally different approaches to dealing with those swings, a new report by Pyramis Global Advisors reveals.

Concerns over the demand for index-linked gilts following the decision to use CPI for pension increases have been exaggerated, F&C says.

Corporate pension funds in the UK and overseas are continuing to move towards liability driven investment strategies, the Investment Management Association says.

GLOBAL - Corporate pension funds are continuing to move towards liability driven investment strategies, the Investment Management Association said.

About half of all UK pension schemes have adopted a liability driven investment strategy in the wake of volatile markets, F&C Investments says.